This piece is a classic jazz standard composed by Fats Waller, originally written as a vocal work but frequently transcribed for solo piano. It is distinctive for its sophisticated harmonic language and its deeply poignant melodic line which subverts typical upbeat jazz tropes.
The primary challenge lies in mastering the syncopated jazz swing feel while maintaining a clear, cantabile melodic delivery.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Black and Blue is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Black and Blue lasts about 3 minutes.
Black and Blue is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Aligator Crawl by Fats Waller, Bach Up To Me by Fats Waller, Body and Soul by Johnny Green — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.